


By your side is where I'll be

by lilija_the_red



Category: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)
Genre: Angst, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Relationship, hinted really, hurt!Bai Yutong, very mild mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 22:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16334675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilija_the_red/pseuds/lilija_the_red
Summary: The danger is over, but what comes after?-Bai Yutong gets hurt during a mission and Zhan Yao takes care of him





	1. Stay with me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pheral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pheral/gifts).



> Thanks to mypheralside, who gave me the idea and motivated me to get through this! (and who's being a big inspiration in general, I hope you enjoy it!)  
> and another thank you to frankisthegod, who listened to my whining and helped me figure out what I actually want.

Zhan Yao feels Bai Yutong slipping from his grasp and quickly tightens his grip on the other man. He looks around, through the dark trees, scanning the place and listening in on the emptiness of the forest. It’s quiet. It’s been for a while. Which is good. It means nobody’s following them anymore. He takes a deep breath and pushes forward, hands firmly on Bai Yutong, who’s leaning heavily against him.

They are roughly the same size, but Bai Yutong is much more build than him and it shows. Zhan Yao can feel his muscles strain under the additional weight. Still, he can’t dare to let go no matter how bad his muscles burn, for Bai Yutong would, without doubt, tumble down to the ground if left on his own. A low groan makes his head shoot around to Bai Yutong, who has his eyes closed now. With concern he sees how pale Bai Yutong is. It’s hard to make out under the mud and blood. Bai Yutong’s blood… He stops his thoughts right there.

 

 _They are out. They are alive._ He reminds himself.

_They are alive and they both will stay like this._

 

Another painful groan captures his attention.  
“Bai Yutong? Bai Yutong! Stay awake! Hey!” Bai Yutong stumbles and Zhan Yao’s grip almost loosens.

“Can’t…” It’s weak. Far too weak for Zhan Yao’s liking.

He looks around again, for a shielded place.  
“Okay. We can make a little rest. Careful. I’ll let you sit down now, understood?”  
He helps Bai Yutong lean against the trunk of a tree and sits down next to him.

“Cat?” Zhan Yao almost doesn’t catch the word.

“I’m here.” He moves closer until their sides touch. Promptly, Bai Yutong’s head slumps against his shoulder. His eyes are closed again, but at least he’s talking.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, Bai Yutong. I’m fine.”

The only reaction Zhan Yao gets, is a soft humming from Bai Yutong, before he goes silent again.

Unbelievable! Even while being close to unconsciousness, Bai Yutong tries to look after him! Like, it’s not him that’s sitting on the ground of the forest with bloodied body and spinning head. It’s… Suddenly he feels Bai Yutong slipping off, panic rising within him.

“Yutong? YUTONG!” He grabs onto his shoulders, shaking him violently. “Hey, rat! Wake up! You’ve got a concussion, you know as well as I do, that you aren’t supposed to sleep! YUTONG!”

“Stop screaming.” Bai Yutong opens his eyes, slightly. They are still dazed, unfocused. But at least he’s awake, Zhan Yao thinks relieved.  
“Otherwise, you’ll upset the ghosts of the forest”, Bai Yutong adds, prompting Zhan Yao to shake his head.

Unbelievable. He quickly checks Bai Yutong’s wounds, but none seems to have opened again. That’s something at least.

“We must go on, now.”  
“Bai Yutong. Did you hear me?” No answer, his eyes are still staring dazily off into the distance. If it weren’t for the harsh raising and falling of Bai Yutong’s chest, he’d think… Zhan Yao shakes his head, as if that could shake the thoughts from his brain.

“Bai Yutong”, and again, “Bai Yutong!” Now his voice has lost any softness. “Yutong! Come on! You promised! You promised, we’d both make it out – both! Come on, little rat!”  
  
He watches as a shiver runs through Bai Yutong’s body, shaking it, and holds his breath. Finally, Bai Yutong speaks. “Okay, okay. Stop screaming. The Ghosts, remember.”

Zhan Yao spares Bai Yutong a comment and instead reaches out for his arm, laying it over his own shoulder. He braces his legs, pulling Bai Yutong up, along with him. He reminds himself of the ways the mind can overpower the body and recalls those scientific papers on adrenalin he’d read some months ago. Their topic was what adrenaline does to the body system. He keeps replaying those details in his mind, as they walk. They continue their way, slowly but at least somewhat steady. It’s when he almost doubts to have chosen the right path, that he hears it. Voices. Never before has Zhan Yao been this happy to see these familiar faces, sprinting towards them.

“Bai Sir! Dr. Zhan!” The team’s voices erupt as they spot them.

He tightens his hold on Bai Yutong.

“Almost there, little mouse, almost there.” He whispers, unsure if Bai Yutong even heard it.


	2. you lie so still

It’s a scary sight, seeing Bai Yutong in his hospital bed, stripped up to several machines, the face almost unrecognizable under the number of bandages. It looks so wrong. Out of place. The smell of blood still lingers in the air, on their skin, only overpowered by the scent of antisepticals. Bai Yutong’s hair is in a strange disarray, something so uncommon for him.

 _He’d be furious, if he could see himself right now,_ Zhan Yao thinks, not without a soft smile.

Without thinking he leans forward, extending his hand to flatten the wayward strands on Bai Yutong’s head. He lets his fingers card through the short hair, careful not to pull too much or cause any kind of discomfort. When his eyes fall on Bai Yutong’s left ear, he notices the absence of an earring. Zhan Yao frowns. He makes a mental note to later look for a replacement at their place. His place. Their place? (well, isn’t it their place already? They’ve never said so out loud, but Bai Yutong has practically moved in already. With the constant threats around them, it was the only logical thing. Obviously.)

A cold shiver runs through his body as he remembers that he will go home alone this day. Probably the next days, too. His stomach falls.

 _They are alive. They are safe,_ he reminds himself once more and sits down next to the bed.

Zhan Yao got lucky, only a few scratches, some bruises, but nothing too major. Nothing that would put him at bed rest like Bai Yutong. A shuddery sigh escapes his throat, his grip tightening on the bed sheet. He doesn’t dare take Bai Yutong’s hand, no matter how badly it aches him to do so. His fingers craving the touch. But he’s afraid. Too afraid to cause Bai Yutong even more pain. His eyes fall on the bandages covering up Bai Yutong’s hands and memories of burned flesh fly through his mind. He can still smell it… Can still…

_They are alive. They are safe._

Zhan Yao tries to channel in on the regular breathing of Bai Yutong, ignoring the constant beeping of the machines and the busy hurrying behind the door. Just the slow and steady in- and outtake of breath. It’s calming. In and out. It helps him stay grounded in the moment. In and out. It reminds him, that, yes, Bai Yutong’s still here. Still safe. In and out.

He hasn’t woken up yet. Which is not surprising, considering the chemical cocktail the doctors had prescribed Bai Yutong, when they came in earlier. Has it really only been hours since they’ve been in the forest; since they’ve escaped… it already feels like a life time away.

“Please, mouse, wake up.”


	3. the days slip by

Unfortunately, Bai Yutong takes his time with waking up. Days, even. And except for some short episodes of him opening his eyes between the pain medication shots, still dazed out and unable to speak, except for those moments, he’s sleeping through.

Zhan Yao closes the hospital door behind him and makes his way over to the bed. He’s been talking to the nurses, who had told him Bai Yutong has been better, that he should wake up any time soon.

Soon, is not soon enough though, not for him.

He takes his place by Bai Yutong’s bed and gets out his book. It’s remarkable how fast you can develop a routine, Zhan Yao thinks to himself. The past few days had all been the same. He’d come visit Bai Yutong in the morning and leave around the evening. With the university closed for holidays and the current perp locked up, the office doesn’t offer much work. Except for paper work, which doesn’t really catch Zhan Yao’s interest right now. Besides, he’s been told by Bao Sir to stay at home for a few days and take some rest, anyway. He preferred the hospital, though.

Going home to an empty flat is … weird. Over the last couple weeks, he had become so used to have Bai Yutong in his space and around him. Being on his own there just feels wrong. Especially knowing that the other man is lying in a hospital bed.

 

Maybe that’s the real reason, why it feels wrong being in the flat alone. It must be.

 


	4. oh behold the day I'll see your eyes once more

It’s the fourth day of Bai Yutong being chained up to the machines, that is different. It all starts like the other days, though. Just like the days prior, Zhan Yao sits by Bai Yutong’s side, occupying his hands with whatever seems to work. Books, papers to be graded, articles. Anything to keep his mind – and hands – busy. He’s two pages in in the newest paper, when he hears a soft moan. His eyes dart up, just to look right into Bai Yutong’s. Which are, for the first time in days, not clouded or dazed, but relatively focused.

  
“Bai Yutong!” He can’t help the yelp. His eyes widen as recognizes Bai Yutong’s movement as a try to get up.

“Wait, let me help!” Zhan Yao hurries to Yutong’s side, keeping him from ripping the needles out. He makes him lean against the head of the bed. Organizing the blankets and pillows accordingly. When he’s satisfied with the angle and blankets, he steps back a little, but keeps standing next to the bed, hands dangling by his side, unsure what to do with them.

 

“Ouch.” Bai Yutong leans heavily against the bedrest, visibly fighting to keep his vision clear.

“How long have I been here?”

His voice is harsh and raspy after all the days of silence.

 

Zhan Yao swallows hard, before he answers, careful to sound just.

“It’s been three days since we brought you in.”

 

Bai Yutong groans, out of pain or out of frustration, Zhan Yao can’t tell.

“Three days…”

“The perp?”

“Taken care of.” Zhan Yao simply says. Bai Yutong looks up, but doesn’t say anything.

 

His heart speeds up a beat, relocating itself at his throat, it feels, like it’s trying to escape. Bai Yutong is still way too pale, still full of cuts and bandages. He’s still lying in bed, with too many tubes attached. But he’s awake. He’s okay.

 

“What”, Bai Yutong looks at Zhan Yao, questioningly, “What is it? Is there something on my face?”

Zhan Yao huffs. “You mean except for the dozens of bandages? No.” He replies dryly.

“Well, that’s good then! Stop staring!” Bai Yutong scowls but it slowly turns into a smile, which looks weirdly contorted with all the bandages covering his face. Zhan Yao can’t help but return it, though.

 

He sits down again, eyes still firmly on Bai Yutong. “How are you feeling?"

“Aweful, like a truck run over me, several times at least.” He coughs, grimacing as the pain hits.

“You’ve got yourself a bruised rib, you’ve got to be careful, Bai Yutong.”

This earns him a glare, but he couldn’t be bothered.

 

Bai Yutong huffs. “Stop mocking me, better get me something to drink.”

“You getting bossy, should mean you are getting better”, he shoots back while pulling out some water from the cupboard by the bed. He looks at Bai Yutong’s hands, pondering.

“Wait here, I’ll be getting you a straw. And tell the nurses you are awake.”

 

“Wait here?! Where else should I go, huh?”

 


	5. for it will be enough for those days, I won't

Zhan Yao doesn’t change his rhythm after that. He still comes in the mornings and leaves in the evenings. Only that now he gets to talk to Bai Yutong and isn’t left to stare at him sleeping his pain medications endured slumber the whole day. Sadly, though, Bai Yutong isn’t exactly the most pleasant or patient … patient. Being forced into bed rest, drugged by several pain medications and a case still unfinished to him, makes him jumpy. Additionally to that, he also makes Zhan Yao leave at least once during dinner time to make him eat something more of substance than the granola bars, he had had for dinner the past few days. Zhan Yao tries to be entertaining for Bai Yutong (they quickly agree on Zhan Yao not reading his psychology books out loud to Bai Yutong, in favor of not starting fights) but Bai Yutong is buzzing with jumpy energy.

So, when he comes in three days after the wake up and is met by a very quiet Bai Yutong, it irritates him, to say the least. After a while of them sitting next to one another in silence, Bai Yutong clears his throat.

 

“Zhan Yao?” Bai Yutong sounds … afar. “I need to ask you a question.” He pauses. “And I need you to answer it honestly, okay?”

“Bai Yutong, you sound strange. Shouldn’t we wait until the drugs are out of your system?”

  
“Zhan Yao, I mean it. Honest answers only. Can you do that?”

He nods once. “Yes.”

“How did you manage to get us out of there?”

Zhan Yao freezes under Bai Yutong’s eyes, which are trained on him, not giving him any space to flee. His nerves go blank.

“What do you remember?” He asks instead. 

“Zhan Yao…”

“I’ll answer. Just… what do you remember? I don’t want to falsify your memories with mine.”  
“It’s important for the case”, he tries. 

 “Fine.” Yutong sighs. “I remember how we arrived at the lair. How we entered. I remember the first three guards at the first rail. Eh”, Bai Yutong squeezes his eyes shut. “Then the fight inside. The perp. The explosion. Then… nothing.”

  
“You don’t remember anything after that?”

 

This makes Bai Yutong open his eyes. He stares at Zhan Yao, as if he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

“Zhan Yao…”, he starts. “What happened there?”

The firmness in Bai Yutong’s voice makes Zhan Yao avert his eyes slightly. But just for a moment.

 

“Cat, what did you do?” He watches Bai Yutong’s eyes widen, feeling a pinch in his chest. “Shit, cat, what did you do?!”

“I did, what had to be done.”

 

That’s the truth. Zhan Yao doesn’t feel sorry. Would he do it again? If it means that he would get Bai Yutong out alive? Yes. In a heartbeat, without a second thought.

 

“That’s not an answer!” Bai Yutong is shouting now.

Without blinking Zhan Yao repeats. “I did, what had to be done. That’s all.”

Bai Yutong disagrees on that matter, if his wild eyes, fast breathing and general tension is anything to go by.

“You shouldn’t work yourself up like this about it”, he nods towards the machine linked up to Bai Yutong’s heartbeat. The lines on the screen are going buckwild, just like the numbers.

He stands up. “I’ll tell the others you are awake. They’ve texted they’d stop by today. Do you need anything?”

 

Bai Yutong simply shakes his head, not meeting Zhan Yao’s eyes. He nods and heads for the door, not willing to share anything more, than he has already done.


	6. for one day, I'll take you home

It’s not before another week that Bai Yutong gets the clearance to leave the hospital. Zhan Yao is there first in the morning, to pick Bai Yutong up and take him home.  
They haven’t talked about the day of the event, since Bai Yutong had asked him days ago. Zhan Yao knows it’s bugging him, but he won’t cave in. If he gets to keep everything secret from Bai Yutong… every minute he doesn’t know, Zhan Yao is thankful for.

It’s enough, that he has to remember the events down in the lair and live with those memories.

He stops in front the door of Bai Yutong’s room and takes one last deep breath.

 

“Heyyy”, Bai Yutong swirls around at the sound of the open door.

“Where did you get that wheel chair from?”

“One of the nurses gave it to me!”

 

Bai Yutong doesn’t need a wheel chair. Zhan Yao knows that for a fact. They’ve been walking through the hospitals park several times. Granted only very short walks, and Zhan Yao had to help him, but he could stand and walk just fine. He crosses his arms in front of his chest, nodding towards Bai Yutong’s still bandaged hands.

“And how are you supposed to navigate it with second degree burns?”

Bai Yutong flashes him a wide smile. “Ah, dearest kitty, that what I’ve got you for!”

  
Zhan Yao wants to oppose, protest, that no way he’s going to push Bai Yutong around in that thing, and yet he finds himself not more than two minutes later, pushing a grinning Bai Yutong through the hospital halls. It could be worse.

He pushes him towards the car and moves to help him stand up but Bai Yutong swats his hands away, being adamant he can get up himself. Zhan Yao ignores Bai Yutong’s refusal and grabs onto his arms anyway, steading him.

 

“Careful with your claws, cat!” He hisses as he slips down onto the seat of his car. Zhan Yao walks around the car and takes the driver’s seat. He despises Bai Yutong’s sports car – or how likes to call it: death trap on wheels – but it was the easiest solution. And he knows what a thrill it would give Bai Yutong to finally sit in his car again and not in some boring taxi. So, it was an easy decision in the end. He starts the car and leaves the hospital area. Heading home.

 

To his surprise Bai Yutong stays quiet throughout the whole ride. Even though Zhan Yao sticks to the speed limit and lets the engine whine in protest more than once. It’s at a red light, that he dares to spare Bai Yutong a glance and realizes: Bai Yutong has already fallen asleep. He doesn’t fight the grin, sneaking onto his face and turns his attention back on the road. It’s not a long drive. Ten minutes later they reach their apartment complex and Zhan Yao quickly parks the car and turns to wake up Bai Yutong. As soon as the engine stops Bai Yutong shoots up, though, eyes wide, breathing heavily.

  
“What… where”

  
“Relax, Bai Yutong!” He presses him down with a hand on his shoulder. Bai Yutong relaxes into the touch, immediately.  “We are home.”

Bai Yutong lets out his breath, still looking a bit disoriented.

  
“Home, good. Good.”

 

 _Yes_ , Zhan Yao thinks.

**_Home._ **

 


End file.
